Maine town wants to create police department

An informal committee is looking into both the start-up costs and the annual operating costs of establishing a Lubec Police Department

By Tom Walsh Bangor Daily News

LUBEC, Maine — There's no crime wave in Lubec, but the Washington County border town is exploring the option — and the costs — of creating its own police department.

With a population of 1,300, more or less, Lubec now provides law enforcement services through a contract with the Washington County Sheriff's Department. For $181,358 a year, the department provides Lubec with an 86-hours-per-week, two-officer patrol system, as other demands permit.